A Friend in Need
by DarkXLightxmagique
Summary: Gabrielle was a normal nurse in Manhattan until she was saved by a gargoyle. Now that she has befriended a gargoyle, she has become entangled in the dangers of the realities of myths. Eventual BrooklynxOC.
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own Gargoyles...but I do own Gabrielle! Please Read and Review! I really appreciate it!**

"How's the heart rate, Garnett?" An older man in green scrubs with graying hair and glasses called, holding a scalpel over the patient's chest. Aside from those who were helping him, he disregarded everything else in the room.

The room was a shade of off-white, but it was still more blinding than looking directly into the sun. Everything was sterilized and smelt of disinfectant, expensive hand-sanitizer, and sickness. This room was full of people; one person lying on a silver table, three people, two men and one woman, hovered over the table, and two young women working on charts on a written tablet and computer from across the room.

One of the young women by the computer answered. "It's starting to stabilize." She had dark brown hair with a slight wave. She was tall, on the pale side, and had caring, sparkling green eyes.

"Is it possible to temporarily stop it? I can't remove the tumor without puncturing the heart while it's moving." The doctor inwardly sighed. Doctors by now were way past accomplishing heart surgeries with the heart still beating, but the tumor on the dying man's heart was much worse than anticipated.

The same woman tapped away on the keyboard and clicked the mouse a few times, then glanced back up at the surgeon. "Yes. I can stop it now by hooking up the heart-lung machine."

"No, you stay there. Werk can hook it up. You stay there and tell me when the heart stops and how the circulation continues."

Werk, the woman next to Garnett, slightly overweight with blond hair and dark roots, with tired eyes and an aged face, hurried over to a machine with wires and tubes growing from it. She fumbled with some of the tubes and wiring, then inserted to different places of the patient's heart. The rhythm slowed, eventually stopping completely.

"Garnett, how's circulation?"

"Perfect."

"Wonderful." The old man grazed his eyes quickly upon everyone in the room, then returned to the patient. "Let's save this man's life."

Gabrielle Garnett exited the hospital. Her bright blue scrubs made a gentle _shish_ as she strode towards the door. Her white sneakers were silent against the off-white tiles that reflected the bright luminescent lights on the ceiling, making Gabrielle almost wish she had sunglasses, in spite of it being close to midnight.

Gabrielle stepped out of the hospital and into the darkness of Manhattan, New York. Despite the late hour, there were neon lights shining everywhere, horns honking, TV screens the size of billboards blaring, but not a star in the sky. The moon was the sole connection to the natural order of the night, accompanied not by the North Star or any constellations, but by clouds, which were probably smog formations, anyway.

Gabrielle only had a block to walk before she would reach her apartment. She was very lucky that way. Her apartment was on the same street as the hospital, and she walked there everyday. She wasn't next door to it, but still very close. Virtually, the only thing separating her apartment from the hospital was the parking lot, an independent flower shop, and a small alley.

The alley was technically a part of the apartment building. It held a dumpster and gave room to the fire escape on one side of the apartment building and one side of the flower shop. Gabrielle always walked more quickly when going past the alley, frankly because she disliked the dark and anything that may be lurking there. She didn't even open the window of her apartment to look out into the alley. She didn't do this simply because the alley wasn't a pretty sight, but because she was afraid of heights.

Her fear was so great that she could not even bring herself to look out the window, for she had a ridiculous dread of falling out. She knew it was stupid, but she also didn't know how to fix. She didn't care too much, either. Her fear of heights had never had prevented her from doing anything that she needed or wanted to do, so as far as she was concerned, all she had was a minor phobia that everyone could be subject to. Granted, not everyone feared heights, but fears of the dark, fires, and other phobias that had a practical grounding.

Gabrielle hastened her pace as the alley approached.

Too bad she didn't get passed it.

Someone lunged at her, scooping her back into the alleyway, hugging her from behind so she couldn't fight back. "Okay, look, we don't wanna hurtcha, all we want is some cash to feed our families, 'kay?" It was a man's voice, but one that Gabrielle didn't recognize.

Someone behind the man laughed, "Yeah, feed our families! Right!"

The person picked her up and spun around so she would no longer face the streets. The arms around her were tight and muscular, and she could only guess that the person attached was tall and fit, but the man who had just replied was plump and stocky. She fought the man's grip, but it was of no use.

"Look, just give us your wallet, okay?" This time it was the capturer. "Then we'll be on our way, all right?"

Gabrielle kicked the villain's shin as hard as she could and started to run. However, the man she just kicked grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her back and pushed her to kneel.

The fat one spat. "You asked for it now, lady!" He held up a club, swinging it up high.

Gabrielle winced and closed her eyes, preparing for the blow.

She heard a crack, but to her relief, it was not the sound of her splintering skull. She opened her eyes. The plump companion of the one behind her was pinned against the wall, held up four feet above the ground, by a creature that Gabrielle didn't immediately recognize.

Her jaw dropped in a silent scream. She was gaping at a monster. It had a stark white mane that clashed with its blood red skin. The beast had claws, a beak, and leathery wings. Its eyes glowed brilliant white with an intensity and anger that frightened Gabrielle to the point of speechlessness and paralysis. It was huge, perhaps twice the size of a human. It growled and snarled at the fat criminal, bearing fangs and a forked tongue.

It threw the man like an unwanted, lifeless doll into the dumpster. It turned to Gabrielle, its growl getting louder. The man behind Gabrielle kicked her toward the monster and pleaded, "Take her, not me! Don't hurt me!"

Gabrielle was beyond stunned when it replied in clear English, "Don't worry. I'll do more than just_ that_." The red beast jumped over Gabrielle, aiming for the man that started the dispute in the first place.

However, Gabrielle didn't hear a rip, a scream, or a snapping of the man's bones. She heard a _bang_.

And another.

And another.

_Bangbangbangbangbang._

Gabrielle had covered her head with her arms.

When there was silence, she lifted her head and dropped her shaking limbs. The creature had a gun in its hand, now crumbled in its talons, and gave a defeated sigh and fell on top of its opponent. The man, with a look of horror, collapsed under the monster's weight.

Gabrielle gasped. The creature was full of holes, probably from the gun that it destroyed. She stood, creeping closer to the monster and the man.

The criminal was now unconscious, his eyes rolled back into his head. The creature, from what she could tell, was still breathing and aware of its surroundings. She hesitated, lightly touching the creatures shoulder with her palm.

It moaned in pain, causing Gabrielle to swiftly retrieve her hand and cradle it in her chest. The monster struggled to lift its head in her direction. Its eyes were still a luminous white, but it seemed no longer vicious, only in agony.

Gabrielle gulped. "Uh… thank you." She paused, nervously watching the creature. "I—I'd like to help you." She stepped closer, kneeling. "Could you let me do that much?"

It closed its eyes, wrinkling its forehead in such a way that it perfectly resembled the human emotions of sadness, worry, and hurting. "Please…" It's voiced trailed off, and it lolled its head to the side.

She was no longer kneeling, but she bent down from the waist and dragged the criminal from under the giant beast. It did not give any sign of disturbance whatsoever. It was almost as if it were asleep, or simply uncaring. She took the man next to the dumpster where his companion was in. She quickly scanned him, and saw that he had no wounds. He probably had fainted from shock.

She laid him on his back and bent his knees up. Cold sweat dampened her hair and clothes as she steadied her breath and studied the unconscious man.

He was still breathing and he still had a pulse, so she left him be. She could hear the man in the dumpster whimpering and shaking in the garbage.

She returned to the creature and inspected its back. None of the bullets went straight through its torso, but there were a couple holes in its wings. She knelt back down and gently placed her hands on the monster's—no, not a monster, but certainly a strange being—shoulders and tried to pushed the creature to its back side.

It started to growl again. "Hey!"

She stopped pushing, but kept her hands on its shoulder. She spoke timidly. "I'm just trying to help. I'm going to get the bullets out, and I'm going to make sure you don't get infected. That's all I want to do." Her face felt hot under its frightening and unwavering gaze. Though she became a master at being calm under intense situations, she was scrambled and scared senseless on the inside. "And in order to do that, I have to turn you over."

The sarcasm was thick in its speech. "Look, I'm glad that you're not running and screaming, but I don't need your help. Go home, where it's safe."

Gabrielle noticed that the creature, while it spoke, didn't sound foreign at all. She briefly fancied that it was an alien of some sort, but it just didn't fit. It sounded almost casual, not proper like someone passively learning the language would sound like.

Its voice also sounded like a _he._ Its voice sounded surprisingly natural, not manipulated, and masculine.

Gabrielle didn't want to anger him, but she was a little shocked that with all of his injuries, he would refuse her help. "But, look at your wounds! If they don't kill you, then the infection they bring will!" She stopped abruptly, realizing that if she protested too much and grew only slightly hysterical, he might grow angry and not think twice about hurting her. "Could you at least let _me_ help _you_ to pay you back?"

"No." He quickly shook his head. "I can wait till daybreak." His eyes stopped glowing. He had large black eyes, but still had white surrounding it, eerily human-like.

"Daybreak?" She cocked an eyebrow and her voice went up an octave in her bafflement. "What's so special about that?"

He seemed to labor in his breathing. "I turn to stone during daylight. That's how I sleep. When I'm stone, my wounds heal."

Realization crept upon Gabrielle's features. Quickly scanning his body and applying what this creature had just said, she finally knew what this creature was.

She had heard of this creature in fairytales as a child, and had briefly learned of them in her history classes in elementary school and maybe even as late as high school, but she had never dreamed that they had still existed.

"I'm a gargoyle. I protect humans, even though most don't know I exist." He paused, analyzing her features. "Though if a human does see me, they run like a champion into the opposite direction," He added bitterly, "Even if I help them." He stared at her, his eyes softening. "But,_ you're_ not." He struggled for words and could only muster, "_Why?_"

She stammered. "I—I—Well, I mean—" She stopped and took a deep breath. "Well, I am pretty blown away," She began, pausing to examine his expression, hoping that she was saying the appropriate things. That's really all her job was—when talking to a patient, anyway—to keep people calm so that helping them would be that much easier. "But by this whole thing. And, well, when I saw you lying there, I couldn't just run away." All this was the truth, but she had to make sure that she could articulate it in a suitable manner so she wouldn't regret having said anything at all. "I had to help you. I _have_ to help you." She took one of her hands of his shoulder and slid the other down to his elbow as she returned a puzzled but kind gaze. "When you turn to stone, and your wounds close," She purposely used _close_ instead of _heal_. "What happens to the bullets inside of you?"

He blinked, mystified. "I…I don't know."

She sighed. "Even if you don't get infection, you'll still have those bullets inside. Just imagine feeling those bullets, feeling _shards of metal_ in your body, every time you move, you feel them move, too."

He exhaled tiredly, looking away. "Fine, fine." He let her turn him over, but grimaced as his back made contact with the ground.

"Okay, I'm going to run back into the hospital and I'll get the tools I need. I'll be right back. Don't worry." She turned and started to run.

The red gargoyle carelessly tossed his head to the direction where she took off and commented dryly, "I'll just stay here, then."

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	2. Chapter 2

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Gabrielle, after removing the bullets, grabbed a bottle of peroxide by her feet. She was kneeling, and there was a line of products, tools, and bandages that had been dumped out of a large duffel bag that she found in one of the closets of the hospital. Before she started pouring, she warned him. "This is going to sting. A _lot_."

The gargoyle nodded sharply and waited for the liquid to burn his skin. He didn't know what peroxide was, but before she began operating, she had explained to him everything she was going to do and how she was going to do it, and why. Even during surgery, she would narrate her actions. He supposed that she did this so he wouldn't question or protest, as well as it possibly being a tactic for making both of them less nervous.

Already he had trusted her. There was something about this woman that made him feel at ease. The only other human that he had found this quality in was Elisa. He wondered if he should openly display his trust for this human, but decided that he would worry about that when she was done working on him.

He stiffened as the liquid burned his skin even though it was unbearably cold. His eyes glowed and his hair stood on end. "Ow!"

"Relax," She cooed. "It's almost done." She poured some of the peroxide on his wings, letting in seep in the skin and drip through the holes.

He forced his body to relax and the lighting of his eyes dimmed and eventually disappeared. He stared out into the sky, pushing his thoughts elsewhere, somewhere beyond the pain his was feeling. He was glad that someone could help him, and he somehow felt stronger knowing that he was being helped and would soon return to his clan. He knew everything would turn out all right. His certainty was a liberating and comforting sensation.

She started to bandage his torso. "So, what's your name?"

"Brooklyn," He mummerred. "And yours?"

"Gabrielle. Is it just Brooklyn? Do you have a name for your…pack?"

He smirked. He enjoyed that she tried, and had apparently enough knowledge to know that gargoyles were not strictly solitary creatures. "No. Clans don't get names."

"Oh." She nodded, curious about the life of a gargoyle. "Well, families of humans have names, and mine is Garnett. My full name is Gabrielle Louise Garnett."

He wrinkled his forehead in confusion. "I thought you just said your name was 'Gabrielle' and that your family name was 'Garnett.'" He took a deep breath and doggedly exhaled. "Where did 'Louise' come from?"

As she finished wrapping him up, she grabbed balls of gauze that she placed on both sides of the holes of his wings. "Sometimes humans get two names." She smiled, grateful to have the conversation make things less nerve-wracking. "There are so many humans out there, that some share the same first names. Sometimes, people of different families share family names. Some humans get second names to make them different, so that there's less confusion."

Brooklyn groaned. "That's confusing."

Gabrielle suppressed a giggle. "I suppose so."

She finished patching him up in silence. When she was done, she tested him by asking him how many fingers she held up, seeing to it that his pupils weren't dilated, and asked him to sit up.

The bandages prevented him from doing it with speed, but he could eventually straighten. He massaged his head with his claw. "Man, what a night." He glanced at the sky. "Aw, no!"

"What? What's wrong?"

"It's almost sun-up! I'll never make it back to my clan in time!" He looked away from the sky and into her eyes. He was openly anxious and at a loss.

She tilted her head. "Well, you can stay with me for today. My apartment is three stories up. So," She craned her head backward to view the side of the building. "That third window up there leads to the inside of my home. There's a fire escape platform right by it, so you could rest there."

Brooklyn looked down at his bandages, then up at the third story window. "I don't know if I could even make it up there." He shifted his eyes back to the ground.

Gabrielle gathered her things and stood. "Don't lose heart now." She formed a toothy smile. "I didn't go through all this work for you to just mope! I'll help you up the stairs." She shook her head, feigning a scolding as well as confidence. "You just saved me, but you didn't see me gripe about anything. Come on, you need to be in a safe place while you rest." Gabrielle stuffed everything in the bag and slung it over her shoulder. She then slid an arm around Brooklyn's torso, hoping he wouldn't feel her hands shaking. "Come on, I'll help you." She gently nudged him forward.

Brooklyn stumbled not from weakness and the lack of will to her push, but out of shock. He never would have imagined a human to treat him like this. Trying to repay a favor was one thing, but it simply amazed him at how willing she was to make everything easier for him. A human genuinely wanted to help him, and this was a truth that he had started to consider a mere myth when he was back in Scotland over a thousand years ago.

They trudged up the steps quietly. It was a very strenuous process for both of them, but they managed to get to the third story fire escape platform before dawn.

Out of breath, Brooklyn's mind boggled at the entirety of Gabrielle; a human, helpful, kind, and so far, very genuine. He hoped for a new friend. He couldn't help himself from asking between pants, "Why did you do all this?...Just for me?...Why would you do something…like this?"

Her face was beat-red and sweat cascaded from her pores, but she had he biggest smile that Brooklyn had ever seen. "Why not?" She panted. "I did this because…I wanted to…Sometimes your gut tells you to do the wildest things…and sometimes…you have no choice but to listen to it."

"So you did this all…on an instinct?" He was perplexed as he looked down at her. This logic sounded strangely gargoyle-like.

She slowly took her arm from his waist and let it hang at her side. "Yeah. I have a feeling that you're not so bad. I think you would make a great friend."

Brooklyn stammered. He couldn't believe the courage this woman had. "You—you wanna be friends?"

Her eyes lit up. "Sure!" She paused, catching her breath. She was quite visibly shivering, but he couldn't decide if she was being pushed beyond her physical limits or her mental ones. "Why bother to make enemies or toss people aside when you can be friends?" She looked at Brooklyn, with tired but glimmering eyes. "Well, I guess I better go get some sleep, too." She turned to the staircase and quickly swiveled to face her new friend. "Or I'll just wait here until dawn, then I'll head inside."

Brooklyn shrugged. "Whatever works." He smiled. "You're willing to watch me safely turn to stone? Man, I can't wait to tell the guys!" His smile grew broader, displaying white sharp teeth that no longer seemed menacing. "Thanks a lot."

"Oh," She shrugged stiffly in return and stuttered. "No problem." Brooklyn hoped that her nervousness was because of the excess adrenaline in her system and not because of a mind-numbing fear of him.

He squatted, placing his hands on the metal before him for balance. "No wonder I'm second-in-command." He said proudly, grinning smugly. "I beat up some bad guys, saved someone, and I've made a friend. I can't wait to tell Elisa and the rest of my clan!"

"Oh." She said numbly, not aware of what he was talking about or whom he was referring to. She nodded and acted as if she understood.

Gabrielle looked over her shoulder to see the sky, careful to not look at the streets below to remind her of how high up she was. She saw the sun slowly coming into view. "Well, good morning, Brooklyn. Sweet dreams."

His eyes twinkled. "Thanks. You, too, Gab." His body instantly solidified, and he was a statue. If she hadn't just witnessed Brooklyn turn from flesh to stone, she would have sworn that he had always been a statue.

It finally dawned on her. "Wait… 'Gab?'"

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	3. Chapter 3

***CHAPTER 3*I don't own GARGOYLES. I do own Gabrielle Garnette, and any other OC's you've seen thus far and will see in the future, like the old cardiologist guy and Werk and any other character that's not originally in the show/comic.**

**So, if you don't own it, don't steal it. Please and thank you. ^^**

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A tiny voice in the back of Gabrielle's head screamed at her to not look into the city and realize how far up she was. She could barely believe that she had even come up the steps. Then again, she had worked so hard on helping Brooklyn that she couldn't have afforded to compromise her concentration. Retreating from the view of the sunrise, Gabrielle collapsed, shaking to the point that it was annoying and even painful.

Gabrielle rested the side of her head on Brooklyn's knee. Tears streamed down across her nose and onto the stone figure of her new friend. She hoped that he couldn't hear or see while he was in that state, for she would be most embarrassed if he could. She would hate it if he—if anyone—saw her in such a pitiful state. As a nurse, she was used to putting on the air of being secure and strong. Now, she couldn't even pretend that for the sake of others or herself.

Gabrielle felt bile rise from the pit of her stomach. She moaned, willing it to stay down. Gabrielle couldn't believe what was happening to her.

She was having an anxiety attack, plain and simple.

Gabrielle had always pitied those who had had an attack. But now, she was afraid if she was able to control it herself. If she couldn't, how far would it go?

Gabrielle took some deep but unsteady breaths to calm herself down and to slow her heart rate. When her worry subsided and her thoughts cleared, Gabrielle realized what she had to do.

She had to climb down the stairs.

Three full flights of stairs.

Gabrielle sighed and shook her head. She could barely hold back from asking herself out loud, "How did I even make it up here?" She held the back of her head, a headache forming from her episode of panic. Of course, she was still in a state of panic and slight hysterics, but she was starting to overcome it.

Blinded by her relentless tears (which she was somewhat thankful for so she couldn't see how high up she was), Gabrielle slowly made her way down the fire escape. For most of the journey, she was dizzy and clung to the railing. She was careful to not miss a step and trip, though she did anyway every now and again.

Her heart would speed up and she would quickly pray that she wouldn't die this way, and would then carry one bravely.

When she finally made it to the ground, she was tempted to kiss it. She saw the men that had tried to kill her earlier. One of them was just getting out of the dumpster when he saw her and froze. "That—that thing won't hurt us, will it?"

The one on the ground stirred at his companion's voice and sat up. He spotted Gabrielle and scowled. "What are _you_ still doing here?"

Gabrielle, ignoring the tear stains on her face, did her best to pull herself together and to appear to have the upper hand. She waited until she knew her voice wouldn't crack, but forced her features to seem smug and at ease, like she was teasing them. "I should be asking you the same thing." She smiled thinly. "He's with me. If you're nice to me, I'll make sure he doesn't kill you. It'll be tough, because he _really_ wants to." Gabrielle hoped that they would believe her bluff. She actually wasn't so sure about the last part.

She remembered that somewhere along the line the ancient gargoyles had made a pact of some sort with the first of the civilized humans. For a while they protected each other, but somewhere along the line, mistrust had plagued the minds of humans and gargoyles.

Though, Gabrielle thought, not so much gargoyles as for humans.

They both visibly changed. The plump one finally fell out of the trash. "You—you wouldn't really do that, would you?"

Gabrielle scoffed, hoping she wasn't pushing it. "Of course I would. It was pretty obvious what you wanted to do to me."

The thinner one paled. "Look, we just need to make a buck like everyone else in New York. You can't fault us for that, can you?" He stood, facing his palms upward as if he were at a loss. "I mean, there are so many people out there just like us. Sometimes worse. We're just trying to make our way through this world like everyone else. Just like you." His speech was too sweet, his voice too syrupy.

Gabrielle shook her head slowly, as if she were a teacher disappointed in a pupil. She realized he was bluffing, too. He was trying to make himself seem like a tragic figure, a victim. "No, I don't think so. I don't care. You didn't have to go that far." She placed her hands on her hips as if she were frustrated with a tedious task. "Just get out of here before I summon him again."

Then two exchanged a look of disbelief and fright and quickly ran off in the opposite direction of which Gabrielle was standing.

Gabrielle let her arms fall to her sides and her shoulders slumped from the fatigue of feigning confidence. "If I'm lucky, I'll be able to sleep again after this." She grumbled to herself, turning out of the alley to head up to her apartment.

Gabrielle took the elevator because she knew her legs would never have been able to carry her back up three stories. When she finally reached her apartment and flopped on her bed, she turned her head away from the mattress and stared blankly out the window. She saw the back of Brooklyn, frozen. He was hunched over and no longer flesh, but he was still not one to be reckoned with even as a statue.

She felt safer somehow, knowing that there was something—someone—to protect her. She was able to drift off to sleep, even after all that.

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	4. Chapter 4

***CHAPTER 4***

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Brooklyn awoke at sunset, breaking through the stone sleep. He stretched, looking over each shoulder to inspect his surroundings out of habit. Recollecting the night before and remembering where he was, he turned around to peer into Gabrielle's window. "Hey, Gab?"

No answer.

Brooklyn was looking into a bedroom. It was tiny, with only a bed, a dresser, and a closet. All were within a few feet of each other. He tilted his head and shrugged. "Guess she went out for the night." He looked towards the west, just barely able to see above the tops of the buildings. "I should do the same." He climbed up the rest of stories, noting that there were thirteen of them. When he reached the top, he started out in a run and then jumped off the edge of the building, spreading his wings as he caught a strong draft.

0o0o0o0

Gabrielle leaned against the counter. Her shift was over, but she had just finished chatting to a co-worker. Though she didn't consider any of her fellow employees very close friends, they were friends nonetheless. They had spent much time together in the hospital and had gone through much together; saving lives, losing lives, dealing with the senile, with the stubborn, and working with the truly grateful people that made the job worth doing.

Gabrielle sighed. She wondered if she would see Brooklyn again. One side of her hoped that she would, while the other longed for normalcy, which meant to never meet up with him again.

She shrugged at her inner-conflict as she headed out the door. "What's life without excitement?" She muttered to herself.

Gabrielle cut through the parking lot. It was fairly well lit and wasn't packed, but had more cars than usual. Gabrielle didn't like this, for it probably meant that more people were sick or injured. She frowned. She loved her job because she loved helping people, but it was also sad and always had the effect of sobering her.

This night her long hair was in a pony tail and her scrubs were a bright green, a couple of shades paler that the color of her eyes. Her sneakers were still the same white that clashed with everything.

As Gabrielle marched closer to her apartment, she felt another presence. She started to sweat as walk faster, but the sensation of being watched—and, possibly, hunted—refused to leave her. The feeling soon started to become unbearable. Gabrielle feared that if she turned around that she would see something that she would wish she hadn't. Gabrielle broke out into a full sprint and checked behind, in spite of her worry.

Nothing.

Gabrielle whipped her head frontward again. She didn't care, she just kept running. She learned very soon in the medical field to always trust your instincts, no matter how silly or wild. Even if it's against all odds, just do what your gut tells you. The sweat that drenched her was cold and made her clothes stick. Gabrielle heard a swooping sound. The hairs on her arms and neck stood straight up as the sound came closer.

_Woosh._

Gabrielle was so shocked and frightened that she couldn't even let out a scream when her feet no longer touched the ground.

Quickly she was lifted higher and higher off the ground. Two claws enveloped Gabrielle's shoulders, breaking off circulation to her arms. She breathed heavily, not from the run but from fright. "Who—who are you?" She demanded breathlessly.

"You humans call me Demona. Do not worry, human, I am a friend." The voice, though somewhat soothing, was also very aloof and uncaring.

"Y-you're a gargoyle, too?" Gabrielle tried to mask the hysteria in her voice, but miserably failed.

"Yes. I am a friend of Goliath's clan."

Gabrielle tried her best to not screech like a banshee. "_Who?_"

Demona was silent for a few moments. "I'm a very good friend of Brooklyn."

The information didn't register. Soon Gabrielle's feet were miles away from building tops. "Pl—please, put me down, I'm going to be sick!" Soon the scent of hey and home-made alcohol filled Gabrielle's nose and she was barely able to suppress the urge to vomit.

_Gabrielle opened the door to her uncle's barn. "Bret?" She called._

"_Up here, Gabbers." A voice from above replied. It was her cousin, Bret. Bret lived on a farm in Pennsylvania. Gabrielle's family visited them every summer since she could remember._

_Gabrielle was eight years old. Her long dark locks were in pig tails and she was wearing a tee shirt, jeans, and sneakers. She climbed up the ladder that was near the stables that led up to the chicken coop. Gabrielle looked around and saw Bret sitting on the edge of a platform with the barn doors for the second story wide opened. _

_The doors led to nowhere. They just opened into the sky. They were used as a vent for the barn during the summer when it got hot, smelly, and unbearable. It was against Uncle Tommy's rules to just lounge about the second floor barn doors with them opened. Gabrielle tilted her head as she approached Bret._

"'_Bout time, Gabbers." Bret was ten years old, tan, freckled, and on the muscular side. He was blond and wore overalls and boots that were meant for heavy-duty jobs and harsh environments like mud, cow manure, and other unpleasant things that would destroy any other type of shoe. Bret had a jar in his hands with a plaid covering for the lid. It looked like a jar of jam, but the contents were yellowish and more watery than any jam that Gabrielle saw._

_Stepping closer, Gabrielle noticed that the mysterious jam had an extremely strong, distasteful smell. "Bret, what's that?" She sat next to him, but didn't let her feet dangle like he did. She sat with her legs folded under her and stayed away from the edge. She never liked heights. Plus, letting one's feet dangle was against Uncle's rule. "And why are you here? Uncle Tommy doesn't like it when—"_

_He quickly cut her off. "I promise to tell you if you promise not to tell anyone else."_

_Gabrielle nodded wildly, smiling._

"_Okay… this here," he pointed to the jar. "Is moonshine. You know what that is?"_

_Gabrielle shook her head, wondering what a silly name like that could refer to._

"_Well," He started proudly. "Me and Pa made it the other day. It's a grown-up drink. Pa drinks it all the time. He started when my ma died." For a brief moment his features drew into themselves, revealing sadness, but it quickly passed. "And now I'm startin'. Only Pa doesn't know. Now, Gabbers," He turned his body to face her directly and wagged a finger at her. "Don't tell my pa, you're pa, your ma, or anyone else. This is our secret. All right?"_

_Gabrielle nodded once, sharply._

"_Good." He nodded in reply. He looked out into the distance, gazing at the horses in the field, the dog sleeping in the middle of the yard, his house, and the sun that was slowly fading. He gasped. "Is that my pa?"_

_Gabrielle followed his eyes. It was Uncle Tommy! They were going to be in so much trouble…_

"_Gabbers," He commanded. "Hide behind this stack of hey," He jumped behind it, waving for her to follow, his jar in the other hand. "When my pa actually is in the barn, we gotta latch ourselves on those there doors. "He motioned to the doors that were swung open and led to nowhere._

_Gabrielle shook her head furiously. "No! I'm afraid of heights!"_

_He scowled. "Don't be a wuss. Here," He held up the jar. " I'll let you try some of my moonshine." He grinned slyly._

_Gabrielle weighed her options. "Okay. But you have to _promise_."_

"_Sure thing! It's a deal."He dropped the jar into a pocket of his overalls. _

_A door slammed._

_Bret's features changed dramatically from slyness to unhidden, shameless fear. He tiptoed to the edge and gestured for his younger cousin to follow._

"_Kids?" It was Uncle Tommy. "You come out here! You ain't in trouble, but, good night, Bret, you know that it's your job to close the barn doors! They're all wide open!"_

_In the meantime, Bret had managed to creep onto the edges of the door and to hold onto the top, hanging from it quite similarly to the inspirational poster that Gabrielle saw in every hallway in her school that featured a cat that told them to "hang in there."_

_Slowly Gabrielle inched her way up the door. The door was old and had lots of crevices in it. As she hitched her fingers like claws onto the top edge of the door as she forced her feet into the larger cracks. She felt like a monkey. Her knees were drawn to her chest and she hoped that the old wood wouldn't give out under the stress she was creating._

_After a few pregnant seconds of Uncle Tommy calling for the kids, he gave up and returned to the house. Gabrielle's hands sweated and she started to slip. She tried not to cry. "Bret! I wanna get down!"_

"_Sure thing, Gabbers." He still managed to sound casual. He pushed with one hand against the wall of the barn, forcing the door to close. His fingers got momentarily trapped between the door and its frame, causing him to give out a muffled holler as he hopped down onto the platform and started to suck on his minor injuries._

"_Bret," The little girl whined. "Help! I'm slipping!"_

_Bret approached her and tried to reach around her to close the door, but couldn't. "I can't. You're too heavy on this thing. Besides, I can't reach anyway. It's no good." He studied the distance from him to her. "Jump into my arms." He suggested. "I can catch you."_

"_But you just said I was too heavy!" Gabrielle readjusted her hold on the door._

"_Yeah, for a door. But if you jump to me, I'll either catch you, or you'll topple on top of me, but we'll still be on this here platform." He tapped the ground with his shoe, as if it gave his plan proof that it would work._

_Gabrielle had a horrible feeling about this, but she didn't know what else to do. She tried to inch herself towards her elder cousin, but ended up slipping faster and twisting herself uncomfortably. "Bret, what do I do?"_

_He held out his arms. "Jump."_

_Gabrielle gulped as sweat stung at her eyes. She inhaled and exhaled slowly a couple of times, then replied, "I'm gonna jump on the count of three. So, I'll go 'one, two, three,' and I'll jump. You better be prepared and you better catch me." She quickly added. "Please?"_

_Bret nodded eagerly. "Sure thing, Gabbers. We can do this."_

_Gabrielle held her breath, tensed her muscles, and lunged._

_Only, he never caught her._

_0o0o0o0_

_Gabrielle was lucky to only have a broken arm and a sprained wrist. In a few months time, Gabrielle was perfectly healthy and normal._

_She, however, was always then wary of heights and her cousin's schemes and antics._

Gabrielle moaned, wishing that her stomach wouldn't rebelliously rumble anymore. "I never did get to try that moonshine," She bitterly grumbled, groggy from sickness.

"What? Did you say something, human?" The grip on Gabrielle's shoulders, if possible, tightened.

"Put me down…please." She was doing little more than pleading.

Soon, Gabrielle was released onto a rooftop. She couldn't recognize where she was because she was disoriented. She didn't care anyway; she just wanted her feet to touch something solid. She collapsed to her knees, trying to even out her breaths. When she was confident that she wouldn't faint, Gabrielle finally asked, "What are we doing here?"

"You said you wanted to be put down." Her new traveling companion stated.

Gabrielle looked up. Demona was beautiful. She had a light blue coloring with fiery red hair that was glossy and thick. Her fangs were a bit more pointed than Brooklyn's; even with her mouth closed, they still peeped out of the corners of her mouth. However, like Brooklyn, she had large black eyes, though hers were just slightly beadier. She sported a golden crown on her forehead and had her claws in fists resting on her hips. "Or are you ready to go gliding again?"

Gabrielle solemnly shook her head. "No, thanks." She stood, hoping her knees wouldn't give way. "So… what can I do for you… Demona?"

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	5. Chapter 5

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"Straight to the point, are we?" Demona stared at Gabrielle, musing. "Well, I'm very much like that myself. I admire that quality." She shrugged. "Well, I just wanted to talk to you. After all, a friend of Brooklyn's is a friend of mine." She strutted closer. "I noticed how you and Brooklyn interacted the other night. I'm so happy that you were there to help him. Because, I know I couldn't assist him. I had other duties to attend to." As she closed in on Gabrielle, her eyes never broke away from the human. Gabrielle felt uneasy, like Demona was peering into her soul and was trying to memorize every which way that her insides worked. "You see, we protect the city." She smiled, but it didn't ease Gabrielle at all.

"So," Gabrielle cautiously started. "What would you like from _me?_"

Demona's grin broadened, causing Gabrielle's stomach to flip. "You see, there was a very tragic accident that happened long ago, and my friends don't know that I'm even alive."

Gabrielle straightened, eyeing the gargoyle curiously.

"So I tried to find them, and I finally did." She paused, twitching her long, muscular tail. "Well, I found Brooklyn. But I saw him with _you_. Knowing he was safe with a friend, I left you and decided to come back. However, I figured that I might as well introduce myself to you."

Gabrielle cleared her throat nervously. "Um, well, thank you." She paused, wondering what was right to say. "I'm… pleased to meet you."

Demona tilted her head, crossing her arms, chuckling. "I thought you could help me. I want you to tell Brooklyn and his clan to meet me here a few nights from now."

Gabrielle's eyebrow rose. She knew gargoyles were generally trustworthy creatures, but there was something very different about this one. This gargoyle made her hesitant, alert, and a little scared. "Do you have a specific date in mind?" She tried to say this as softly as she could. She didn't want to anger or upset Demona in any manner. There was just something about her that she simply didn't like, didn't trust. Gabrielle swallowed. Listening to her gut was sometimes very bold and borderline horrifying.

"No," Demona answered flatly. "I will be here every night just in case. I am usually here anyway." Her eyes widened and added quickly. "On patrol, you know."

"Patrol?" She bit her lip. "What's that?" Gabrielle's heart rate sputtered. Whatever patrol was, she questioned what Demona was really doing.

"Patrol. Patrolling the city. Scoping out crime." She placed her claws back on her hips. "Protecting people like you."

Gabrielle could feel the blood drain from her face. She could hardly believe it even when the thought buzzed around her head a thousand times. "Is she…" Gabrielle thought to herself. "_Lying…?_" Of course she did not dare question the gargoyle aloud or outright, but the thought practically throbbed inside her skull. "Oh. Right." She replied a bit absently. "I'll be sure to tell them."

She nodded. "Good." She displayed another intimidating smile. "I look forward to seeing you again, Gabrielle."

After hearing her name, Gabrielle was instantly horrified. "When did I tell you my—" But she was cut off. Demona took off in a run and jumped off the ledge, but while doing so, violently shoved Gabrielle off the building.

Gabrielle screamed as she zoomed by the windows of twenty-story buildings. She could barely hear herself shriek because of the deafening air that rushed by her. As each second went by, she got much closer and closer to the streets of New York.

And then, everything stopped.

She didn't hit the ground, but she was no longer falling.

The blurs of the city lights came into focus, revealing a friendly face and a familiar voice. "Hey, Gab! Nice of you to drop in."

It was Brooklyn. Gabrielle could have cried out of sheer joy at that very moment, but she was too shaken to express any definable emotion. She felt something she couldn't name, and she wasn't even sure if she liked it or not. From being pushed off a building to landing in a friend's arms, she was beyond having a clear head or having any thoughts that really made sense.

"Brooklyn!" She hugged his neck. He was carrying her bridal style, and she hugged him both out grateful delight and partly because it was an involuntary action to ensure that she wouldn't fall. She placed her forehead in the crook of his neck. Her breathing hitched. "I'm so glad to see you." Her voice cracked and she couldn't seem to catch her breath. "Thank you so much!"

Brooklyn's eyes widened with concern. "Gab, what happened?"

"I met a female gargoyle named Demona who—"

"Demona!" Brooklyn's outburst caused Gabrielle to look up. His eyes were glowing and he started to growl. He pulled her closer to him. "Did she hurt you?" His voice sounded strained, like he was confused whether if he should be furious or worried.

Gabrielle's brows rose. "No, she didn't hurt me at all—"

He winced. "Did she _push_ you off that building?" His teeth were bared and his whole voice became not much more than a deep, angry rumble.

Gabrielle's mouth opened slightly. "But, that was an accident! She went to go fly and—"

"An _accident?_" He yelled without realizing it. He noticed Gabrielle's muscles tense, so he forced himself to relax and continued more calmly. "You thought that was an accident?" He shook his head. "Demona did it on purpose."

Gabrielle was shocked. What did she ever do to Demona? She never had even met her before! After all, she did help Brooklyn, so what grudge could Demona possibly hold against her? "But, _why?_"

Brooklyn shrugged. "Demona doesn't like humans at all." He glanced at her sideways. "In fact… she hates humans." His features drooped, displaying sadness. "She's been plotting to destroy them all."

Gabrielle's jaw dropped, her shock enlarging her eyes like those of a disproportionate cartoon character. "Why does she want to do _that?_"

"A thousand years ago, people came during the day and destroyed gargoyles while they were stone." He cleared his throat, shifting his eyes from his friend's appall and back into the city's night. "She never forgave them. She wants to take revenge on the humans that are alive today."

She swallowed, wondering if she should dare to inquire to anything deeper than what he just said. "How many gargoyles…were killed?"

Brooklyn's head dropped momentarily. "Too many. Now, we're the only ones left."

A wave of mourning came over her. She struggled to form any words of comfort, but simply couldn't. Usually, Gabrielle could always come up with some kind, momentarily healing words to just about any victim, but now she could only draw a blank. "I'm… I'm so sorry." Gabrielle knew this was the last thing anyone ever wanted to hear, but she truly did feel sad for him.

He blinked, lifting his head up. "It's not your fault."

After a depressing, lonely silence, Brooklyn swallowed, asking huskily, "What else did she do to you?"

It took a few seconds for Gabrielle's mind to follow what Brooklyn had said. "Oh. Nothing." She lowered her eyes, feeling sick again. "She…we talked."

"I'll take you to the clock tower. There, we can all hear your story."

"We?...like, Goliath?" She saw him openly gawk at her. She hesitated, then added, "And the…clan?"

"Who told you about them?" Brooklyn quickly went through the conversation that they had the night before, and remembered that though he had brought up the clan, he had never mentioned any names except for Elisa's. How could she know about Goliath?

"Uh…" Her mouth went dry. "Demona,"

Brooklyn nodded sullenly. "I see."

Feeling as if she had said something wrong, Gabrielle turned her head away so she was looking backwards, and closed her eyes. As much as she tried to shut out her surroundings, she knew she couldn't. When she reopened her eyes, she knew that what she was trying to block out would just slam right into her face.

Slowly, Brooklyn's flight eased up and eventually stopped. He turned his head slightly to his friend and muttered, "We're here,"

Gabrielle opened her eyes. "Oh. Right." She quickly hopped down from the gargoyle's arms and turned to face the giant clock. She did this to avoid the view of the city below as well as to find an entrance. Gaping at it, it reminded her of being a New York version of the Big Ben. Looking back at her friend, she wondered how they would get in.

Brooklyn led the way, pushing on a part of the wall that led inside the giant clock. Walking closer, she saw that the wall was really just a door and it was just below the clock. Following Brooklyn, Gabrielle saw that there were others inside.

There were five other gargoyles inside; four males, and one female. There was also this weird looking thing that vaguely resembled a dog.

"Hey, Brooklyn's back!"

Gabrielle's head snapped to where the exclamation came from. She saw that one of the male gargoyles had said this. He was tall and seemed overweight with light blue coloring and bat-like wings similar to Brooklyn's and Demona's. Though this one's coloring was a different sort of blue than Demona's was. His ears were like fans, or even fins that were on the sides of his bald head.

"And, look! He brought a friend!" Gabrielle shifted her eyes to another source, spying a small green gargoyle that was also bald. Unlike the other gargoyles, his wings were not bat-like, but reminiscent of skin flaps of a flying squirrel.

They descended the stairs and acquired more greetings. This time a purple gargoyle, almost freakishly huge and strong, approached them. "Any friend of Brooklyn's is welcome here." He was clearly the alpha male. He had a very dark mane (whether it was dark brown or black, Gabrielle couldn't decide), and his wings were closed and hooked to each other at his collar bone like a cloak. Just as his mouth opened again to speak, another voice took its place.

"And what be yer name, lassie?"

Gabrielle tilted her head slightly to catch a glimpse of whoever asked the question with a distinct Scottish accent. It was another male gargoyle, but he looked remarkably older than the others. He had a tan coloring with a brown breast plate on, as well as strange-looking pants of some sort with some netting near the feet. He was sitting in a reclining chair in front of a small television. She noticed that he had a very white mane like Brooklyn's, and though he had one black eye like everyone else, the other was yellow with a scar over his brow.

She looked back at Brooklyn who was now at her side. With a closer look, she noticed that he had horns growing from his head, peeking out from his mane. He looked very sullen, almost depressed. "Guys, this is Gabrielle. She's the one that helped me the other night."

Just as she was about to wave and greet everyone, a giant blue haze lunged at her and tackled her down to the ground. The haze barked happily and licked her face.

"Hey! Looks like Bronx likes you!" Mentally matching the face with the voice, Gabrielle concluded that it was the little green gargoyle that said this. She also realized that the thing on top of her was the dog-thing that she noted from before.

"Nice to meet you, too…Bronx." Gabrielle tried to get up, but Bronx was too heavy.

"Come here, boy!" It was a female voice, and soon the gargoyle-dog was lifted off the human. The female looked a lot like Demona, only purple and with black hair. In fact, she looked exactly like Demona except that her colors were those of the alpha male that stood a few feet before her. "Hello, Gabrielle. My name's Angela." She placed Bronx down. "Nice to meet you."

Gabrielle nodded in return. "Hi, Angela."

The other gargoyles in choruses called out their names.

"Lexington,"

"Broadway!"

"Hudson's the name,"

"Arf, arf!"

The purple one waited until everyone quieted. "My name is Goliath. It is a pleasure to meet you." He gave a short bow. "We are very grateful that you helped one of our clan."

Gabrielle smiled brightly. "No problem,"

Goliath smiled back and then shifted his gaze to Brooklyn. "So, Brooklyn, how was your patrol?"

"Fine," He grumbled. "But Gab has quite a story to tell."

0o0o0o0o

"And you're _sure_ you never told her your name?" Brooklyn asked, as Gabrielle finished recollecting her tale.

She nodded. "Yes. I'm positive."

He rubbed his beak as a human would rub his chin. "Then that means she was watching us."

Lexington wrinkled his forehead. "Creepy."

"Yeah," Broadway concurred. "What do you think she was doing that for?"

"And for how long?" Goliath added.

"I don't know," Angela chimed in. "But this all smells pretty fishy. Why would she think that you wouldn't tell us?"

"Aye, and worse yet," Hudson replied. "What if she was _countin'_ on her tellin', and this be all part of a bigger plan?"

Everyone was silent.

Goliath was the first one to speak again. "This doesn't seem like a problem to be solved tonight. Knowing Demona, she could be planning anything." He turned to face the staircase that led back to the outside view of the Big Ben of New York. "She may have even been expecting us to come tonight, if she was relying on Gabrielle telling us the truth."

"So wouldn't she come to us?" Brooklyn asked, stepping closer to his leader.

"Probably not. She probably has a bigger plan than simply crushing us in our sleep."

Gabrielle heard Broadway gulp.

Goliath turned his head to his second-in-command. "Brooklyn, take Gabrielle home, then come right back. We will continue this tomorrow night."

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	6. Chapter 6

**There's no owning of Gargoyles on my part. I simply possess and overactive imagination that cannot be stopped. lol. **

**So, yeah, I own Gab and blah blah blah. Don't steal. It kills kittens and makes me cry :-(**

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**Geeze, this was the longest one to write. Even though this isn't the longest chapter, (but still a fair size, I'd say...do you agree?) but it's more jam-packed with...stuff. A little bit more so than the other chapters (though I like the other chapters, too, and I've put a good effort into them, as well ^-^)**

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***CHAPTER 6***

"Wait…so you're afraid of heights?" Brooklyn laughed. They were half way to her apartment and Gabrielle was as tense as ever. "How can you be afraid of heights?"

Gabrielle, keeping herself tightly latched onto Brooklyn, did her best to shrug. "Let's just say, as you've experienced with me tonight, I have this bad habit of falling from high places."

He chuckled. "You should get that checked out. Sounds serious."

"You have no idea." Her tone was heavy and grim, in spite of his efforts to lighten it.

"You don't have to worry," He gently squeezed her shivering body against him. "I'll never drop you."

Gabrielle did her best to smile. "You promise?"

He nodded. "Of course." He smiled in return. "Besides, as a gargoyle, it's my job to protect you, especially since you're my new pal." His smile grew bigger. "And, hey, now that you're hanging with me, you just might get used to it." He dipped sharply to the alley by her apartment building, literally biting back a snicker as she clung even tighter to him during the dive.

As he landed, he noted how his companion shakily dismounted from his grasp. He tried to support her as she made contact with the ground, and was fairly surprised that she could stand on her own with such wobbly legs. "Gab, you gonna be okay from here?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine." She replied, her voice a little off from her normal key.

He scratched the back of his head. "Well, okay, then. I'll see you next time."

She smiled. "Yeah. See you!"

Brooklyn turned away and climbed up the side of her apartment building.

She started to turn away as well. She waved. "Bye, Brooklyn! Have a safe flight!"

He was already halfway up the building when he stopped, looked back down at her, and said, "Gargoyles glide, Gab, not fly."

She dropped her hand, not really understanding. "What?"

"Gargoyles glide with wind currents. We can't fly by ourselves."

Gabrielle's brows were raised. "Wow. I never would've thought of that." Then again, as Gabrielle recalled, she had heard Demona refer to gliding instead of flying in their earlier conversation. She smiled. "Well, have a nice glide!"

He let one hand go of the building and waved. "Later!" He finally reached the top and leaped from it, gliding away.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Then it's settled." Goliath declared, making a fist. "We should do this as soon as possible. We must discover what she is up to."

In spite of the chaos that the clan prepared themselves to face, the night was still and tranquil. It was only night ago since Gabrielle's first visit, but somehow Gabrielle felt right at home, and her new friends were very welcoming.

"Agreed," Hudson nodded. "Let's be off and do some discoverin'."

Just as Goliath turned to exit the clock tower, there was a creaking sound and a woman's voice. "Hey, guys. What's up?"

The clan leader whipped around. "Elisa," He paused, caught by surprise. "We have something very urgent to attend to—"

Broadway interjected. "We'll fill you in along the way."

"Wait!" She climbed out of the trapdoor and walked toward the clan. "Who's this?" She jutted a thumb toward Gabrielle.

"Oh, this is Gabrielle. She's new here." Lexington replied matter-of-factly.

"But she is also a friend," Angela added.

The woman walked toward Gabrielle, displaying a badge in one hand while holding out the other. "Hi. Detective Elisa Maza. I work in the station below this clock tower. Nice to meet you."

Gabrielle took it. "I'm Gabrielle Garnett. I'm a nurse at the hospital a few blocks from here." She pulled her hand away. "Same here."

Elisa smiled. The cop was very pretty. She had brown, intelligent eyes, raven hair, and dark skin. "Well, now that we're acquainted, I'm sure I'll have a handle on things once they're explained very slowly and with small words only." She smirked, turning to Goliath. "So, where are we going?"

0o0o0o0

Gabrielle felt no shame at all as she practically huddled into Brooklyn as he carried her toward their destination. She wondered how the gargoyles met Elisa and if Goliath was her first friend out of the clan. She thought about this because she noticed how easily Elisa slipped into Goliath's arms as they went on their journey.

"Gabrielle," Goliath called. "Is this the place Demona told you to have us meet?"

"Yes," Gabrielle nodded. "That's it." Gabrielle would have pointed, but she never would have considered letting an arm go of Brooklyn.

Simultaneously, the gargoyles swooped down to the building top. Gabrielle tried to get down with as much dignity and grace as she could (attempting to copy Elisa) but didn't at all succeed.

A few minutes had passed when Lexington finally asked, "Hey, where _is_ Demona?"

Brooklyn scowled. "I hope we haven't just been stood up."

As if on cue, a distant cry sounded in the air. As it got closer, Gabrielle made it out to be an eerie but beautiful howling. Soon, Demona was visible and she joined them on the rooftop.

"Demona!" The clan leader roared, his fists clenched and his eyes glowing bright. "What is the meaning of this?"

Demona shook her head, holding up some papers in her hand. "You were always so high-strung." She laughed, her eyes even redder and fierier than her hair.

Gabrielle swallowed. She looked like the Devil, Gabrielle thought to herself, and she played the part very well.

She started to wave the papers. "Well, I've got something here to make things much more fun, if you're interested."

Goliath grinded his teeth. "We have _no_ interest in you! What scheming have you been up to, now?"

She laughed again. "You are a fool, Goliath. An absolute fool." She walked slowly, closer to the group, folding her hands behind her back. "And you contradict yourself, as well. Surely you have _some_ interest in me if you want to know what I'm up to." When she was a little over arm's length distance to the group, she smiled, studying Gabrielle. "And I see you've brought your humans." Her gaze shifted to Elisa. "Why do you let them keep you as their pets, Goliath?"

"We're not their pets!" Broadway yelled. "We're their _friends!_ There's a difference!"

"Yeah," Lexington huffed. "Like _you_ would know."

Demona growled, her eyes brightening. "I'll show you something better than mere _friendship_—" She whipped out the papers from behind her back and started to read them aloud.

"She's startin' a spell! Stop 'er!" And with that, the elderly gargoyle ran toward the enemy, thrusting his sword.

Demona dodged his attack, her eyes not even leaving the paper. Soon, she stopped looking at the inscriptions, and her eyes turned a pale green. Her head lolled back and her arms were widespread, as if she were surrendering.

The wind grew wicked, and though the night was already dark and starless, it blackened and grew colder.

Brooklyn embraced Gabrielle, closing his wings around her, yelling, "This can't be good!" but she could barely hear him.

Demona stopped chanting, her eyes returning to their original beady black. She smiled at the group like she was admiring an achievement. She laughed, repeating over and over again, "Fools, fools!"

Gabrielle felt something shift in Brooklyn. It was like his bones were realigning, and, at the same time, shrinking. She heard him gasp in horror as his wings peeled away. She looked up. "Brooklyn…?"

Gaping at him, she saw that his skin was no longer crimson, but it was a pale white, like hers. He had grown considerably shorter, though not exactly short. He was still a little taller than her, and his frame was muscular but lean. He had kept his snow white hair and warm black eyes.

He was still holding onto her even when his transformation was complete. She looked around, and saw that the others had suffered the same fate.

Gabrielle stepped back in astonishment. "You're… you're human!"

Brooklyn gripped her shoulders in bewilderment, studying her face like he was searching for an answer. He glared past her, and in a very gargoyle-like fashion, he growled, "Demona!"

By this time, however, the sorceress was mumbling something else from the papers in her hand. Although Gabrielle couldn't be sure, but she could have sworn that her name was thrown between some of the chants.

"Demona!" Goliath shouted. "What have you _done?_" Though he was trying to sounds intimidating, his voice faltered slightly.

"Gabrielle!"

Out of reflex, she turned her head to face Demona, a little afraid of her and the power she had. She half-glared at her, refusing to show her doubts or fears to such a monster.

The she-Devil glanced at the papers in her hand, and then looked into Gabrielle's eyes. Her eyes were wide and her mouth formed and opened smile from fervor and insanity. "Lapsus,"

Though all she said was one single word, Gabrielle felt the entire world cave in.

She fell to the ground, losing all feeling in her legs as well as all other parts of her body. She would have fallen face-first, but Brooklyn was by her side and settled her gently to the ground. She was so horrified and dumbstruck by her handicap that she was only vaguely aware of Demona chuckling "Somnus," enjoying the entire scene.

On the ground but still in Brooklyn's arms, Gabrielle started to feel dizzy. A black tunnel in her vision periodically opened and closed, like looking through the lens of an old camera taking snapshots.

In only a moment or two, Gabrielle was barely conscious, her eyes wide open and glazed over. Her eyes clouded, losing their kindness, color, and sparkle. As they continued to darken, she no longer had green eyes, but charcoal ones. She didn't even have any white in her eyes to surround her pupils, only blackness.

Smirking at the shrill voices of her enemies and their attempts to wake the human out of her magically induced comma, Demona examined the human from afar. The pitiful creature reminded her of wet clay, so lifeless, moldable, and yet flaccid.

Angela, now human with black hair, eyes, and the build of a female soldier, cried out, "Mother! How could you do this? How could you have done such a thing?"

The gargoyle shook her head. "She's fine."

Brooklyn glared up at the sorceress. "She better be!"

Elisa aimed her gun. "What did you do to her?"

Demona remained calmed and uncaring. "Meus agna!"

Gabrielle stirred, blinking. She had never closed her eyes in her state of limpness. Brooklyn feared something in the new eyes of his companion. There was something missing, something dead, about them. It seemed as if she was blind, staring through him, instead of looking at him. "Brooklyn?" Their was no relief in her voice, merely curiosity.

Brooklyn gulped as he quietly asked himself, was she really blind? He brushed away a lock of hair from her face with one of his newly delicate, human fingers. "Are you all right?"

Without warning, Gabrielle jumped away from him, pushing him away. "Don't touch me!" She glared at him, frowning. "I'm fine."

Lexington, now with the appearance of a brown haired boy, stepped forward. "Gab, he was only trying to help…"

Brooklyn's mouth dropped and he had one of his hands out in front of him like he was trying to reach out to her. Though he was strangely intimidated by her glowering, there was still something empty about her, something vacant, a foreign blankness over her entire demeanor that was not her own.

She looked around, studying each person's face. She seemed like a lost child looking for a direction home. Her anger appeared to have totally faded, replaced with a helplessness and vulnerability.

"Meus agna," Demona called again.

A smile stretched across Gabrielle's features. She turned around, spotted Demona, and skipped towards her. Standing directly in front of her, perhaps a little too close, she was completely motionless, peering into Demona's eyes, beaming.

"Pareo,"

Upon Demona's command, she kneeled and placed both hands on the ground. With a smile on her face, she bowed her head. "I live to serve you, mistress."

**Cliffhanger! I'm sorry guys! **

**Oh, and don't worry. You'll find out what the Latin means next chapter...probably...lol.**

**So...you like...? R&R! Read and Review! Tell me what's what! lol.**

**I absolutely loved my friend's reaction when she first read this. **

**Lol, you know who you are. **

**Thanks for sticking with me, Koinu-chan! 3**


	7. Chapter 7

**I don't own Gargoyles, or anything related to the television show, books, or comics.**

**I just have an imagination and I'm not afraid to use it, with my imagined creations including but not limited to Gabrielle, Bret, a nurse named Werk, and an old cardiologist guy that we may or may not ever see again.**

**Sorry for the long wait, guys! Promise not to hate me for it?**

**I was a bit iffy on this chapter. I was worried about OOC-ness and some simple errors, mostly. Tell me if you catch the crime, or any other literary wrong-doing, okay?**

**Don't forget to Read and Review!**

**Thank you!**

***Chapter 7***

Demona chuckled, extending a claw out to her new servant. "Now, rise my lamb."

Gabrielle quickly obeyed, the action followed with a short bow. "Anything for you, Mistress."

The gargoyle's eyes glinted. "Good." She gently cupped the side of the woman's face with her oversized claw, the gesture almost kind and maternal. "Now, I want to you to take this," She reached behind her, struggling a bit with what seemed to be the unfastening of something. After a series of clicks, she took her hand back and made a fist in front of Gabrielle's face. "I want you to kill everyone, excluding Angela, Goliath, Elisa, and I, with this," She opened her claw and dropped a handheld gun into the human's hand. "Leave them to me."

Gabrielle eagerly nodded. "Yes, Mistress!" She hopped toward the bewildered group and sighed delightedly. "So," She began, speaking as casually as she would to someone asking about the weather. "Who's first?"

No one moved.

She eyed each person one by one. "Well, then, I guess I'll have to pick." Her eyes momentarily lit up, in spite of their dark emptiness, when they danced across those that Demona had asked for. "Oh, Goliath, Elisa, Angela! My mistress wants to see you. You might want to take care of business with her right now."

Demona leaped toward Gabrielle, catching her in a choke-hold. "Do you want your human friend to die, Goliath? Because I assure you, her neck is all too easy to snap, and I can always get another one." She almost giggled when Gabrielle didn't flinch or show any concern whatsoever.

Goliath's hands were in fists, uncontrollably shaking. "No, I don't want anyone to die." He articulated his words too cleanly, his tone an icy calm, a remarkable contrast to the angry trembling of his body.

"Then come," She smirked, releasing Gabrielle. "Come, Goliath, and hurry to your doom." Laughter erupted from her throat, unable to contain her joy any more. Her servant was just standing there, rather dumbly, full-blown admiring—_beaming_—at Demona for just about everything she was doing. She pushed Gabrielle away from her. She'd have plenty of time to be amused later when everything was taken care of.

The clan's leader grimaced at Demona's sadistic mirth. He looked over to Angela, then to Elisa, and grudgingly led the way to the insane female gargoyle. He passed her, crossing to other side of the rooftop so he could face his clan and Demona had to have her back to her servant and those that she ordered to be killed.

"Ah, Goliath," she sighed. "I never thought it'd ever really come to this. Don't worry, I'll make your death extra slow." She lunged at him, causing him to lose his balance momentarily, but he soon was able to defend himself and fight back.

Gabrielle turned away from the scene. She smiled back at the small group of humans. "I'll ask again. Anyone for first?"

Brooklyn stepped forward, his eyes wide. "Gab, please don't do this. You know you don't want to."

Gabrielle cocked her head to the side. "Why wouldn't I? I'd want to do anything Mistress asks me to!"

Brooklyn's voice shook. He glanced back to the others, but they were frozen with worry, just like he was. "But, we're you _friends_, Gab. Demona isn't."

Gabrielle raised the gun, taking aim. "You're not my friends."

He stepped forward again, nearly choking from the lump in his throat. He wasn't afraid to die, but he was afraid of the change that had come over Gabrielle. It wasn't her at all. Something had taken over kicked her out of her own body. It was like a totally different person was walking around using her as a shell. Brooklyn shivered. "Gab, please—"

"Take another step closer and I purposefully miss a vital organ, delaying the speed of adrenaline and slowing blood loss, making your death more agonizing and prolonged. Is that what you want?" Her smile had vanished, and her voice was cold. It sounded so unlike her, that Brooklyn had momentarily wondered if it was really her that was talking. Her smile returned. "I didn't think so." Without hesitation, she took aim at a vital organ, and shot.

Brooklyn couldn't breathe. He heard his friends gasp and scream. She really shot at him! He looked down, mentally preparing himself to see whatever gore was left of him.

To his disbelief (and relief), he was fine. There were no visible wounds. His head snapped back up at Gabrielle. Her face expressed such horror that he had to quickly look away. He still couldn't breathe. He looked back at her, scared out of his mind. She wouldn't miss a second time.

Gabrielle looked as if she were about to cry. Her mouth was open wide like she was shrieking. Both of her hands shook as she held the gun, and her head nodding back forth as if she were trying to deny what had just happened.

Brooklyn took a large gulp. "Gab?"

Her eyes came into focus. They came into focus! In spite of the loneliness, the darkness that had fogged over her eyes, there was a sign of life! Brooklyn fantasized briefly of running over to her to embrace her, to welcome the Gab he knew back into his life, but it was forgotten when her face dramatically changed into an ugly, hideous illustration of hellish fury. Her teeth were bared, her jaw clenched, and her eyes….though full of focus, were just as cruel as Demona's. "Shut up! Although we all know you'll die soon enough, I'd prefer it if you didn't call me that." She spat, scowling. "Your pitiful attempt at intimately calling me by a ridiculous nickname has irritated me to the point that I couldn't take proper aim. Give up!" She barked, her voice powerful and booming. "Just stop talking and make this easier for everyone!" She pointed the gun to the sky, her hands no longer shaking, and shot the rest of the bullets at it.

After a silence, a smirk crept back into her features. "Finally, you stopped talking." She seemed to have difficulty silencing a persistent chuckle at the group's twisted, fearful, and confused features. She turned her head slightly to spy Demona. "Mistress!" She cried, a certain innocent ring in her voice. "I have such horrible aim! I'm so sorry!" She turned back to Brooklyn and the rest of the clan that remained behind him, and winked.

"_What?_" Demona growled. "You fool! You failure!" She punched Goliath square in the jaw, causing him to stumble back. She ran to Gabrielle, seizing her shoulders and violently shaking her. "Fool! How could you have done so poorly! I…" Her voice began to fade. "Your eyes!" She narrowed her own. "Your eyes…they're wrong…"

Gabrielle panicked. "Mistress, what is it? What's wrong?" She covered her eyes with her hands. "I'll do anything to fix it, Mistress, just tell me! What do you want me to do?"

Demona snarled. "You're beginning to disgust me." She snorted, stepping back. She outstretched her arm. "Go over there," She pointed to an edge of the roof. "And jump off."

Gabrielle's breathing grew shallow and she spoke very quickly. "But, why? Of course I'll do it, mistress, but I'm just confused. I'll do anything to help you, but how will this in any way serve you? I'm so confused! I'll do anything for you Mistress, I love you, Mistress, I love you!" She was visibly frantic, and Brooklyn, as he watched, dumb-struck, he could have sworn that she was several shades paler.

Demona struck Gabrielle, sending her a foot or two across the rooftop. "If you love me, you will jump! Now, go!"

Gabrielle's chin trembled, in spite of her efforts to bit her lip into nonexistence and hide her fear. In contrast to her demeanor, her voice was steady, though thin. "Yes, Mistress, of course." She slowly stood, recovering from the blow from Demona, and gradually made her way to the nearest edge.

She stood, teetering nervously, trying her best to ignore the shouts and pleas of the clan. She stole a glimpse of Demona from over her shoulder. "Mistress," She called timidly. "What's wrong with my eyes?"

"Gab, don't jump—!" Gabrielle recognized Broadway's voice, but he was cut off and his speech grew muffled.

Demona was eerily calm. "One of your eyes is green. The spell is wearing off—or breaking. If you still love me, you'll jump, and you'll have nothing to worry about. If you have already broken free from the spell, then I'll kill you myself."

"But, lass," Hudson interrupted. "Doancha know tha' the coler of 'er eyes changes to their normal shade when the spell 'as completely taken over?"

Demona scoffed. "Don't lie to me, old soldier. I study all my spells and their effects before casting them."

"Oh, really, lass?" He stroked his beard. "Well I prithee tha' ya go and check-see."

"I don't _need _to check on something that I'm sure of! You're just cheaply buying your friend time! It's a pitiful and see-through plan, old timer!" she returned her attention to Gabrielle. "Jump! Or I'll provide you and your friends with a demise that shall bind your very spirits to the earth!"

The last thing Gabrielle heard before her plummet was Brooklyn crying out her name.

**Remember to Read and Review, please! It'd make me very happy and it's much appreciated! :-)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey guys! I guess you're surprised I'm not dead...Well, I'm back, and I'm here to stay. **

**Thanks for sticking with me.**

**So, you know the drill...I don't own Gargoyles, I just own Gabrielle, Bret, and this story**.

**Please Read and Review~!**

*********Chapter 8*********

It wasn't even until after Brooklyn had jumped that he realized he no longer had wings. Brooklyn had leapt after her before he even realized he had done it.

As they descended, he reached out to her, not knowing whether to be strangely happy or disappointed in his stupidity for coming after her. When their hands had a firm grasp of the other, she pulled him close in an embrace.

Tears gathered in Brooklyn's eyes. He felt a spreading sense of serenity in spite of their plunging to their deaths. Their deaths so close in time somehow couldn't touch him, couldn't stir him. He tightly squeezed her in his arms and buried his face in her hair. His throat tightened as she held him and hid her face in the crook of his neck.

They were going to die.

Wasn't she scared? She'd probably be insane to feel the same sense of calm as he did. Was it because that he had been gliding for so many years, that he had grown used to the sky, and simply couldn't believe the situation he was in?

Brooklyn shuddered as he felt something trickle down his neck and chest. Was she crying? He felt even more tears gather in his own eyes. He pressed his mouth against her ear and whispered. "Don't cry," She probably couldn't even hear him. He could barely hear himself. "Don't be afraid."

A single tear danced swiftly down his cheek, the air rushing past them wiping it away for him. Something stirred in him, something at his core. He felt as if something was changing in him, but what? Compared to what did he differ?

Pain split down his back like a lightning bolt, causing him to suddenly arch against her. He could barely contain a howl from the great ache he felt that seemed rooted deep inside him. He felt himself stretch and broaden, his grip on Gabrielle shifting, but never loosening. Something ripped apart his back and slowed the fall.

Brooklyn flexed his wings and glided back to the rooftop.

A smile crept across Brooklyn's face. "You know, you should really get a doctor to look at this falling-off-buildings thing. You might be an addict, or something." He said softly, pushing his wings against the currents in a singular, strong, sweeping motion.

Gabrielle looked up at him and smiled, barely comprehending that she _had been_ falling, but now was flying—or, really, gliding.

Brooklyn glided back to the rooftop, reluctantly letting go of Gabrielle. She let her hands slide down his arms and gave a tiny grin. "I'll ask someone at work about my dependency on falling from rooftops. Maybe there's a support group, or something."

His smile broadened. "Keep me posted on that." He took her hands in his. "But…can I still call you 'Gab?'"

She paused momentarily, then laughed. "Well, it's better than Gabbers,"

Brooklyn's brow wrinkled with confusion. "I never called you—"

His speech was interrupted when Gabrielle's sudden thrust against him. Her head was nestled in his chest, hugging him tightly with her shoulders shaking. Before Brooklyn could ask if she was all right, he realized that she was laughing. _Laughing._

He didn't truly understand why, but this discovery made him start to laugh, too. Quietly, at first, but with every chuckle they expelled, their laughter grew louder and more harmonious. Holding his friend in return, he firmly gripped her shoulders and held her at arms length and peered into her face. Though her eyes were dry, her cheeks were damp. Gently wiping her face, she went on her tip-toes and mirrored the action.

Someone cleared their throat, demanding attention. Both Gabrielle and Brooklyn had jumped at the sound, staring wide-eyed at the now all-gargoyle clan.

That is, except for Demona, who was now human and had her hands forced behind her back by Broadway.

Someone cleared their throat again. It was Hudson. "If ye don't mind, we'd appreciate i' if ya came over an' told us how yer fall went."

Lexington straightened, brightening. "Yeah, and we'll tell you how we kicked Demona's butt!"

0o0o0o0

"I was just glad that Brooklyn decided to sprout wings before you guys splattered on the streets." Elisa handed Gabriel some hot coffee. "I mean, we weren't entirely sure that we casted the reversal in time."

Gabriel sighed, failing to suppress a shudder. "Me, too." She thanked Elisa for the coffee, tugging a blanket wrapped around her shoulders closer to her frame. "But…how did you guys do that? Overcome Demona _and_ cast a reversal spell?"

The clan was back inside the tower, gathered just beside the staircase leading to the face of the clock. Everyone was standing, dazed at what had happened, save for Brooklyn and Gabrielle, who had practically collapsed with fatigue when they reached the gargoyles' home.

"Well, lass," Hudson said, gesturing his claw in her direction. "Once we 'ad a hold of 'er, we 'ad our chance to take th' papers and cast the counter-spell."

Brooklyn sighed, his wings tightly enfolding his body. His arms were crossed and he was hunched over, looking uncomfortable, anxious, and chilled.

Lexington inched his way toward Brooklyn, beaming. "And isn't it awesome that _I_ came up with the idea?"

Hudson crookedly smiled, chuckling. "And isn't just our luck that ye had an ol' timer like mi'self to read the La'in spells?"

Broadway puffed out his chest and sniffed. "But _I'm _the one that decided to get dirty and take down Demona—"

Angel rolled her eyes. "Yes, but didn't you lunge at her with _everyone else's_ help?"

The color of Broadway's face darkened.

Goliath erupted with a deep, boisterous laughter. "We all played our own part, and we are all very glad that each member of the clan could contribute to such unusual and dangerous circumstances."

Everyone was quiet, finally realizing their accomplishments. Each gargoyle and human studied the other, a silent but lively exchange of both nervousness and relief.

"Gabrielle," Angela said with slight hesitation. "When exactly did the spell wear off on you? We didn't see the counter-spell for that. We were worried that you…"

Gabrielle swallowed, a lump in her throat rising at the thought of shooting again and flinging herself off a roof. "When I shot that gun…It was like I woke up. I don't know how to explain it. But it was like when I tried to kill Brooklyn, and I had the intent to kill you guys, too…I gained control again."

Hudson nodded. "It is no' uncommon fer someone under a spell like tha' tah be released from it if it be against th' very nature of th' one that's under the spell."

"So Gabrielle couldn't bring herself to hurt anyone like that," Elisa concluded, tapping her chin in thought.

"Especially her friends," Goliath added.

"Wait a minute!" Angela exclaimed, her eyes wide with disbelief. "You walked off the roof and you weren't under the influence of the spell at all?"

Gabrielle shook her head, affirming Angela's speculation. "Yeah. I thought I was going to ruin my pants," She laughed nervously, then stopped in mid chuckle. Her face became solemn as she lowered her eyes, whispering. "I thought I was going to die." She shuddered. "And the worst way possible."

Broadway beamed, "Yeah, but you had Brooklyn to save you! And I," Broadway added, jutting one of his talons to his chest. "Got to defeat Demona single-handedly!"

Finally, Lexington laughed. "You gotta get your eyes checked! I was the one that saved the day!" He waved his arms for emphasis, proclaiming, "I know that Demona'll just transform back into a gargoyle tomorrow night 'cause she has a whole bunch of spells, but wasn't it _bangin' _that I thought to turn Demona into a human?"

Everyone shouted in choruses. "_BANGIN'?"_

Lexington shrugged. "I hear a lot of really cool people saying it lately." He straightened, holing his head high. "And since I'm cool, it only makes sense that I use cool words."

Brooklyn rolled his eyes sulkily. "Yeah, Lex, you're so cool."

Lexington giggled mischievously. "Sounds like someone's jealous that they don't know all the cool words like I do."

Brooklyn frowned. "Yeah, right. What other cool words do you know, anyway?"

"A lot of them!" Lexington thought a moment. "Like… I think you're beat."

"_I'm what?"_

"You heard me. You're beat. It's too cool for you. You probably don't even know what it means." Lexington stated, folding his arms over his chest and laughing cockily.

Goliath placed a hand on his forehead, mumbling, "Do they ever grow up?"

A smile formed on Gabrielle's mouth. This was the most at home that she had ever felt before. She felt like she had true friends here. She felt that she was safe and loved—and that she loved them, too. "Okay, guys, as much as I'd love to stay here with you, I need to leave and get some shut eye, or heaven knows I'll be switching patient scheds. I'll see you guys later."

Gabrielle was answered with mangled protests.

"Don't go , Gab!" Broadway said, sounding on the verge of tears. "It was really scary tonight, but we have so much fun when you're here!"

"Yeah, Gab, won't you stay?" Lexington pleaded, his eyes round like a puppy's.

Gabrielle thought she was going to burst into tears. She couldn't handle all the friendship and love she was receiving. "No, guys. You all know I really want to stay…but I can't. I really gotta go. I'll stop by tomorrow, okay?"

Elisa held up a hand. "Wait a sec. Below the clock tower is a police department. You can't just waltz in and come up here."

Gabrielle blinked. Elisa was right. Gabrielle thus far was only able to enter the clock tower because Brooklyn had visited her first and glided her there. "Oh. Well, I'm sure there's some way…"

"It's cool Gab," Brooklyn interjected, unhooking his wings and spreading them showily. I can visit you once in a while and glide you here. No big deal."

"Really?" Gabrielle raised her brows. "But, I don't want you to have to go out of your way for me all the time. I mean, You're my friend, not my personal travel agent."

Brooklyn titled his head like he was confused. "But I patrol the city all the time, especially your part of town. We each have our own special section to look after." He smiled. "So, actually, I'm there almost every night. I can drop by once in a hwile just to say 'hi', not to just give you a glide somewhere."

"Okay," Gabrielle said softly. "That sounds good."

Brooklyn turned toward the steps that led to the face of the clock. "If you wanna go home, I can take you back." He mumbled, glancing over his shoulder.

Gabrielle's features brightened. "Thanks, Brooklyn!"

Gabrielle said goodbye to the garbled good-byes and farewells. Letting herself be hoisted into Brooklyn's arms, she found herself clinging to Brooklyn's massive frame as he took off the ledge.

"You're still scared?" Brooklyn observed, sniggering. "I thought that fall would have cured you."

Gabrielle closed her eyes and ducked her head. "Yeah, a near-deaht experience induced by falling from a place high up. That should make me feel more secure about heights."

Brooklyn stammered. "Well, when you put it that way…"

They reached her apartment building, Brooklyn tilting his wings so he could land on the third story fire escape.

"What are you doing?" Gabrielle gasped. "I'm _not _getting on that thing again!"

"C'mon, Gab, I'll be sure that all you have to do is make your way into the window. I'll guard you from behind so you don't have a chance of falling."

Gab bit her lip, saying nothing.

Taking this as agreement, Brooklyn landed at the stair platform that led to her window. He let down Gabrielle directly in form of her window, his wings spread at the side, obscuring her peripheral vision. Gabrielle sighed shakily, forcing her heart to beat at a normal pace. She opened the window, using all of her strength to lift in up in tiny increments. Her strength was completely lost—she felt drained and depleted. She was surprised she hadn't collapsed from simple exhaustion.

Gracelessly climbing into her bedroom and falling face-first on the floor, Gabrielle scrambled to a stand, facing Brooklyn. "Thanks Brooklyn." Gabrielle said, her brain feeling like mush and her thoughts like fleeting, forgotten dreams. "I'm glad…" Gabrielle tried to swallow, her mouth dry and her tongue swollen. "That you're my friend."

Brooklyn grinned, his razor-like teeth glistening. "Me, too, Gab." They remained still, staring at each other. They both felt as if they had a lot to say, but nothing sounded right by the time they committed themselves to finally speaking. "I'm gonna head off, Gab," Brooklyn said, finally. "I'll see you around."

Gab waved weakly. "See you,"

Turning, Brooklyn flexed his wings, standing at his full height.

"Wow," Gabrielle mouthed. He was huge! She knew he was gigantic since they first met, but he was almost always slouched and slumping, disguising his actual length. "And just think," She thought to herself. "Goliath was even _bigger!"_

"Oh, Gab?"

"Huh?" Gabrielle snapped back to the present. "What's the matter?"

Brooklyn shifted uncomfortably. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, what is it?" Gabrielle heard her heart pounding in her head.

"What does 'that's beat' mean?"

**So...you like? Don't forget to read and review, please~!**


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